There are various ways to communicate information on the visible, exterior surfaces of outer clothing such as jackets, coats, vests and the like. The form and content of the communication, of course, can vary greatly. The words or symbols themselves may be attached either permanently or temporarily to the garment's exterior surface. A common example of this is a baseball jacket with words or symbols printed or embroidered on its front or rear panels. Alternatively, the words or symbols may be attached to a secondary structure, such as a panel or sign, which itself may be attached to the garment's outer surface. An example of this is the number sign used by track meet contestants. There are however drawbacks to these methods which this invention addresses.
A drawback of having the information attached permanently to the exterior surface of the garment is that the garment loses its versatility. Garments having permanent information attached to the front or rear panels designed for a particular audience or purpose may not be appropriate in all situations in which the individual may want to wear the jacket. A police jacket, for instance, having the words "Police" or "Police Department" printed on its front or rear panels would not be appropriate for an undercover policeman.
The drawbacks of having the information temporarily attached to the exterior surface are; (1) the informational panel or sign must be physically attached or detached from the garment's surface; and (2) when detached, the informational panel or sign must be stored in a nearby location for future use. Both of these drawbacks make the use of temporarily attachable information display panels time consuming and inconvenient.
There is a need for articles of outer clothing such as jackets, coats, vests and the like having a quick and convenient means of selectively displaying information. Such a means is provided in the following invention.